Former Midlander Christi Craddick was elected to the Railroad Commission Tuesday, winning the seat formerly held by Elizabeth Ames Jones by an 18-point margin with 85 percent of precincts reporting over Democrat Dale Henry.

With her election, she and her father, Tom Craddick, who has served in the Texas House of Representatives since 1969, including as speaker of the House, become a rare Texas family with two generations holding prominent positions in state

government.

“I am excited,” she said by phone from Austin, celebrating her victory. “I appreciate all the votes and all the support; it’s gratifying that voters put their trust in me.”

Her father said he and wife, Nadine, were “elated” at their daughter’s victory. “She’s done great, she ran a great campaign. She’ll do a great job.”

He noted that she “got a lot of help from Midland, a lot of education on the oil and gas industry.”

When she takes office in January, Craddick and her fellow commissioners — David Porter, who was elected in 2010, and Barry Smitherman, who was appointed to succeed Michael Williams in July 2011 and defeated Libertarian and Green Party candidates — will face a sunset review of the agency.

“We have to get through the legislative session; we have to get through sunset well and have a good budget,” she said. As a railroad commissioner, she said she plans to “fight the Environmental Protection Agency and educate the public about what the oil and gas industry does and what the Railroad Commission does.”

Former Midland Mayor Ernest Angelo called Craddick’s victory “one of the few bright lights of the evening.”

An early supporter of her campaign, he said Craddick “will be a great commissioner.”

Sharla Hotchkiss cited Craddick’s Midland roots and the fact that “she grew up in the oil and gas industry” as reasons she and her husband Bart supported the campaign. “Her training, her law degree all leads her naturally to this position,” she said.

There is much that could impact the region if the oil and gas industry that drives the local economy is cut down, Hotchkiss said.

She said she believes Craddick will take a common-sense approach to regulating the oil and gas industry, particularly with environmental oversight.

“I want people to worry about the environment,” she said. “I want the oil and gas industry to worry about the environment.”

Not only does Craddick understand the oil and gas industry because she grew up in Midland, but “growing up in a political family, she understands how that works,” said Midland Mayor Wes Perry.

“I think she’ll serve the industry well,” he said.

With experience gained serving on the commission “she’ll be a great leader,” he said.